Systems and methods for touch screens associated with a display

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for using a touch screen are provided herein. In some exemplary embodiments, the touch screen is used as a backup remote to a display and can be used as a 3D pointing device. The touch screen can be an overlay on display surface to control the display. Alternatively, the touch screen can be retractable and ejectable from the display housing. In addition, the touch screen can be wearable. Further, the touch screen can function to control one or more devices, e.g., television, set-top box, DVR, gaming consoles.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to, and claims priority from, U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/974,043, filed on Apr. 2,2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application describes, among other things, systems, methods anddevices for touch screens associated with a display, e.g., a television(TV) screen.

BACKGROUND

Technologies associated with the communication of information haveevolved rapidly over the last several decades. Television, cellulartelephony, the Internet and optical communication techniques (to namejust a few things) combine to inundate consumers with availableinformation and entertainment options. Taking television as an example,the last three decades have seen the introduction of cable televisionservice, satellite television service, pay-per-view movies andvideo-on-demand. Whereas television viewers of the 1960s could typicallyreceive perhaps four or five over-the-air TV channels on theirtelevision sets, today's TV watchers have the opportunity to select fromhundreds, thousands, and potentially millions of channels of shows andinformation. Video-on-demand technology, currently used primarily inhotels and the like, provides the potential for in-home entertainmentselection from among thousands of movie titles.

The technological ability to provide so much information and content toend users provides both opportunities and challenges to system designersand service providers. One challenge is that while end users typicallyprefer having more choices rather than fewer, this preference iscounterweighted by their desire that the selection process be both fastand simple. Unfortunately, the development of the systems and interfacesby which end users access media items has resulted in selectionprocesses which are neither fast nor simple. Consider again the exampleof television programs. When television was in its infancy, determiningwhich program to watch was a relatively simple process primarily due tothe small number of choices. One would consult a printed guide which wasformatted, for example, as series of columns and rows which showed thecorrespondence between (1) nearby television channels, (2) programsbeing transmitted on those channels and (3) date and time. Thetelevision was tuned to the desired channel by adjusting a tuner knoband the viewer watched the selected program. Later, remote controldevices were introduced that permitted viewers to tune the televisionfrom a distance. This addition to the user-television interface createdthe phenomenon known as “channel surfing” whereby a viewer could rapidlyview short segments being broadcast on a number of channels to quicklylearn what programs were available at any given time.

Despite the fact that the number of channels and amount of viewablecontent has dramatically increased, the generally available userinterface, control device options and frameworks for televisions has notchanged much over the last 30 years. Printed guides are still the mostprevalent mechanism for conveying programming information. The multiplebutton remote control with up and down arrows is still the mostprevalent channel/content selection mechanism. The reaction of those whodesign and implement the TV user interface to the increase in availablemedia content has been a straightforward extension of the existingselection procedures and interface objects. Thus, the number of rows inthe printed guides has been increased to accommodate more channels. Thenumber of buttons on the remote control devices has been increased tosupport additional functionality and content handling, e.g., as shown inFIG. 1. However, this approach has significantly increased both the timerequired for a viewer to review the available information and thecomplexity of actions required to implement a selection. Arguably, thecumbersome nature of the existing interface has hampered commercialimplementation of some services, e.g., video-on-demand, since consumersare resistant to new services that will add complexity to an interfacethat they view as already too slow and complex.

In addition to increases in bandwidth and content, the user interfacebottleneck problem is being exacerbated by the aggregation oftechnologies. Consumers are reacting positively to having the option ofbuying integrated systems rather than a number of segregable components.An example of this trend is the combination television/VCR/DVD in whichthree previously independent components are frequently sold today as anintegrated unit. This trend is likely to continue, potentially with anend result that most if not all of the communication devices currentlyfound in the household will be packaged together as an integrated unit,e.g., a television/VCR/DVD/internet access/radio/stereo unit. Even thosewho continue to buy separate components will likely desire seamlesscontrol of, and interworking between, the separate components. With thisincreased aggregation comes the potential for more complexity in theuser interface. For example, when so-called “universal” remote unitswere introduced, e.g., to combine the functionality of TV remote unitsand VCR remote units, the number of buttons on these universal remoteunits was typically more than the number of buttons on either the TVremote unit or VCR remote unit individually. This added number ofbuttons and functionality makes it very difficult to control anythingbut the simplest aspects of a TV or VCR without hunting for exactly theright button on the remote. Many times, these universal remotes do notprovide enough buttons to access many levels of control or featuresunique to certain TVs. In these cases, the original device remote unitis still needed, and the original hassle of handling multiple remotesremains due to user interface issues arising from the complexity ofaggregation. Some remote units have addressed this problem by adding“soft” buttons that can be programmed with the expert commands. Thesesoft buttons sometimes have accompanying LCD displays to indicate theiraction. These too have the flaw that they are difficult to use withoutlooking away from the TV to the remote control. Yet another flaw inthese remote units is the use of modes in an attempt to reduce thenumber of buttons. In these “moded” universal remote units, a specialbutton exists to select whether the remote should communicate with theTV, DVD player, cable set-top box, VCR, etc. This causes many usabilityissues including sending commands to the wrong device, forcing the userto look at the remote to make sure that it is in the right mode, and itdoes not provide any simplification to the integration of multipledevices. The most advanced of these universal remote units provide someintegration by allowing the user to program sequences of commands tomultiple devices into the remote. This is such a difficult task thatmany users hire professional installers to program their universalremote units.

Some attempts have also been made to modernize the screen interfacebetween end users and media systems. However, these attempts typicallysuffer from, among other drawbacks, an inability to easily scale betweenlarge collections of media items and small collections of media items.For example, interfaces which rely on lists of items may work well forsmall collections of media items, but are tedious to browse for largecollections of media items. Interfaces which rely on hierarchicalnavigation (e.g., tree structures) may be speedier to traverse than listinterfaces for large collections of media items, but are not readilyadaptable to small collections of media items. Additionally, users tendto lose interest in selection processes wherein the user has to movethrough three or more layers in a tree structure. For all of thesecases, current remote units make this selection process even moretedious by forcing the user to repeatedly depress the up and downbuttons to navigate the list or hierarchies. When selection skippingcontrols are available such as page up and page down, the user usuallyhas to look at the remote to find these special buttons or be trained toknow that they even exist. Accordingly, organizing frameworks,techniques and systems which simplify the control and screen interfacebetween users and media systems as well as accelerate the selectionprocess, while at the same time permitting service providers to takeadvantage of the increases in available bandwidth to end user equipmentby facilitating the supply of a large number of media items and newservices to the user have been proposed in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 10/768,432, filed on Jan. 30, 2004, entitled “A Control Frameworkwith a Zoomable Graphical User Interface for Organizing, Selecting andLaunching Media Items”, the disclosure of which is incorporated here byreference.

As mentioned in the above-incorporated application, various differenttypes of remote devices can be used with such frameworks including, forexample, trackballs, “mouse”-type pointing devices, light pens, etc.However, another category of remote devices which can be used with suchframeworks (and other applications) is 3D pointing devices with scrollwheels. The phrase “3D pointing” is used in this specification to referto the ability of an input device to move in three (or more) dimensionsin the air in front of, e.g., a display screen, and the correspondingability of the user interface to translate those motions directly intouser interface commands, e.g., movement of a cursor on the displayscreen. The transfer of data between the 3D pointing device may beperformed wirelessly or via a wire connecting the 3D pointing device toanother device. Thus “3D pointing” differs from, e.g., conventionalcomputer mouse pointing techniques which use a surface, e.g., a desksurface or mousepad, as a proxy surface from which relative movement ofthe mouse is translated into cursor movement on the computer displayscreen. An example of a 3D pointing device can be found in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/119,663, the disclosure of which is incorporatedhere by reference.

Sometimes a user can misplace a remote control device, or the remotecontrol device is no longer accessible because the remote control deviceis out of power or out of range of the display device. Hence, it wouldbe desirable to have a backup remote device which operates to controlthe display device in a manner which is analogous to a 3D pointingremote.

As can be appreciated by the above discussion regarding “pointingdevices”, it can be seen how much they are used today. As such, systemsand methods for improving access and reliability to such functionalityfor interacting with televisions, user interfaces and the like may bedesirable.

SUMMARY

According to an exemplary embodiment, there is a display comprising: adisplay surface configured to display media content; a housingconfigured to support the display surface; and a touch screen configuredto perform functions associated with a handheld remote control deviceconfigured to control the display, wherein the touch screen is furtherconfigured to be a backup to the handheld remote control device.

According to an embodiment, the touch screen is a portion of the displaysurface. Alternatively, the touch screen is attached to the housing andis disposed remotely from the display surface. According to anembodiment, the touch screen is attached to the housing on one side ofthe housing, a back portion of the housing or a front portion of thehousing. According to another embodiment, the touch screen is configuredto be activated when the display is in an “on” state and the handheldremote control device is not sensed by the display or a processorassociated with the display. Alternatively, the touch screen isactivated when the display receives an indication of low or no batterypower in the handheld remote control device. According to anotherembodiment, the display is a television and the handheld remote controldevice is a 3D pointing device.

According to another embodiment, the touch screen is configured tocommunicate with the display via at least one of a wireless and a wiredconnection. According to an embodiment, the touch screen is configuredto be detachable from the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a conventional remote control unit for an entertainmentsystem;

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary media system in which exemplary embodimentsof the present invention can be implemented;

FIG. 3(a) shows a 3D pointing device according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3(b) illustrates a user employing a 3D pointing device to provideinput to a user interface on a television according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows the global navigation objects of FIG. 3(b) in more detailaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts a zooming transition as well as a usage of an up functionglobal navigation object according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 shows a search tool which can be displayed as a result ofactuation of a search global navigation object according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a live TV UI view which can be reach via actuation of alive TV global navigation object according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 depict channel changing and volume control overlays whichcan be rendered visible on the live TV UI view of FIG. 7 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows an electronic program guide view having global navigationobjects according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 11(a)-11(c) show zooming and panning widgets according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates an overlay box interposed between a content sourceand a television according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 13 shows a touch screen as a portion of a display screen accordingto exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 14A depicts a side view of a touch screen attached to a portion ofa display according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 14B depicts a front view of a touch screen attached to a portion ofa display according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 15 shows a touch screen mounted on a back side of a displayaccording to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates a touch screen operating while disconnected from adisplay according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 17 illustrates a top view of a user holding a touch screenaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 illustrates a touch screen according to an exemplary embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 19 illustrates hardware elements associated with a touch screenaccording to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the invention refers to theaccompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different drawingsidentify the same or similar elements. Also, the following detaileddescription does not limit the invention. Instead, the scope of theinvention is defined by the appended claims.

It would be desirable if the backup remote device disclosed hereinprovided additional features and functions so it can be used to controlseveral devices. For example, only one remote control device to controlthe television, the set-top box, and the DVR is used, rather than threeremote control devices. Further, it would be desirable that this remotecontrol device could function as a 3D pointing device, as describedabove. Likewise, in order to prevent the backup remote control devicefrom becoming misplaced or inaccessible, the remote control device couldbe a touch screen overlay on the display device, a retractable/ejectabletouch screen which is part of the display device, or a separatelydetachable touch screen. Further, when the backup remote control deviceis required (because the primary remote is inaccessible), it can beautomatically lit or displayed as an overlay to be easily available tothe user. In addition to being a backup remote control device, the touchscreen could be the primary controller of a display device, for example,and offer many additional features and functions, such as for gamingapplications, fitness and health applications, and security orpersonalization applications.

In order to provide some context for this discussion, an exemplaryaggregated media system 200 in which the present invention can beimplemented will first be described with respect to FIG. 2. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the present inventionis not restricted to implementation in this type of media system andthat more or fewer components can be included therein. Therein, aninput/output (I/O) bus 210 connects the system components in the mediasystem 200 together. The I/O bus 210 represents any of a number ofdifferent of mechanisms and techniques for routing signals between themedia system components. For example, the I/O bus 210 may include anappropriate number of independent audio “patch” cables that route audiosignals, coaxial cables that route video signals, two-wire serial linesor infrared or radio frequency transceivers that route control signals,optical fiber or any other routing mechanisms that route other types ofsignals.

In this exemplary embodiment, the media system 200 includes atelevision/monitor 212, a video cassette recorder (VCR) 214, digitalvideo disk (DVD) recorder/playback device 216, audio/video tuner 218 andcompact disk player 220 coupled to the I/O bus 210. The VCR 214, DVD 216and compact disk player 220 may be single disk or single cassettedevices, or alternatively may be multiple disk or multiple cassettedevices. They may be independent units or integrated together. Inaddition, the media system 200 includes a microphone/speaker system 222,video camera 224 and a wireless I/O control device 226. According toexemplary embodiments of the present invention, the wireless I/O controldevice 226 is a 3D pointing device. The wireless I/O control device 226can communicate with the entertainment system 200 using, e.g., an IR orRF transmitter or transceiver. Alternatively, the I/O control device canbe connected to the entertainment system 200 via a wire.

The entertainment system 200 also includes a system controller 228.According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thesystem controller 228 operates to store and display entertainment systemdata available from a plurality of entertainment system data sources andto control a wide variety of features associated with each of the systemcomponents. As shown in FIG. 2, system controller 228 is coupled, eitherdirectly or indirectly, to each of the system components, as necessary,through I/O bus 210. In one exemplary embodiment, in addition to or inplace of I/O bus 210, system controller 228 is configured with awireless communication transmitter (or transceiver), which is capable ofcommunicating with the system components via IR signals or RF signals.Regardless of the control medium, the system controller 228 isconfigured to control the media components of the media system 200 via agraphical user interface described below. According to one exemplaryembodiment, system controller 228 can be a set-top box (STB).

As further illustrated in FIG. 2, media system 200 may be configured toreceive media items from various media sources and service providers. Inthis exemplary embodiment, media system 200 receives media input fromand, optionally, sends information to, any or all of the followingsources: cable broadcast 230, satellite broadcast 232 (e.g., via asatellite dish), very high frequency (VHF) or ultra high frequency (UHF)radio frequency communication of the broadcast television networks 234(e.g., via an aerial antenna), telephone network 236 and cable modem 238(or another source of Internet content). Those skilled in the art willappreciate that the media components and media sources illustrated anddescribed with respect to FIG. 2 are purely exemplary and that mediasystem 200 may include more or fewer of both. For example, other typesof inputs to the system include AM/FM radio and satellite radio.

More details regarding this exemplary entertainment system andframeworks associated therewith can be found in the above-incorporatedby reference U.S. Patent Application “A Control Framework with aZoomable Graphical User Interface for Organizing, Selecting andLaunching Media Items”. Alternatively, remote devices and interactiontechniques between remote devices and user interfaces in accordance withthe present invention can be used in conjunction with other types ofsystems, for example computer systems including, e.g., a display, aprocessor and a memory system or with various other systems andapplications.

As mentioned in the Background section, remote devices which operate as3D pointers are of particular interest for the present specification,although the present invention is not limited to systems including 3Dpointers. Such devices enable the translation of movement of the device,e.g., linear movement, rotational movement, acceleration or anycombination thereof, into commands to a user interface. An exemplaryloop-shaped, 3D pointing device 300 is depicted in FIG. 3(a), howeverthe present invention is not limited to loop-shaped devices. In thisexemplary embodiment, the 3D pointing device 300 includes two buttons302 and 304 as well as a scroll wheel 306 (scroll wheel 306 can also actas a button by depressing the scroll wheel 306), although otherexemplary embodiments will include other physical configurations. Usermovement of the 3D pointing device 300 can be defined, for example, interms of rotation about one or more of an x-axis attitude (roll), ay-axis elevation (pitch) or a z-axis heading (yaw). In addition, someexemplary embodiments of the present invention can additionally (oralternatively) measure linear movement of the 3D pointing device 300along the x, y, and/or z axes to generate cursor movement or other userinterface commands. An example is provided below. A number ofpermutations and variations relating to 3D pointing devices can beimplemented in systems according to exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. The interested reader is referred to U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/119,663, entitled (as amended) “3D Pointing Devices andMethods”, filed on May 2, 2005, U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/119,719, entitled (as amended) “3D Pointing Devices with TiltCompensation and Improved Usability”, also filed on May 2, 2005, U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/119,987, entitled (as amended) “Methodsand Devices for Removing Unintentional Movement in 3D Pointing Devices”,also filed on May 2, 2005, and U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/119,688, entitled “Methods and Devices for Identifying Users Based onTremor”, also filed on May 2, 2005, the disclosures of which areincorporated here by reference, for more details regarding exemplary 3Dpointing devices which can be used in conjunction with exemplaryembodiments of the present invention.

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it isanticipated that 3D pointing devices 300 will be held by a user in frontof a display 308 and that motion of the 3D pointing device 300 will betranslated by the 3D pointing device into output which is usable tointeract with the information displayed on display 308, e.g., to movethe cursor 310 on the display 308. For example, such 3D pointing devicesand their associated user interfaces can be used to make mediaselections on a television as shown in FIG. 3(b), which will bedescribed in more detail below. Aspects of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention can be optimized to enhance the user's experience ofthe so-called “10-foot” interface, i.e., a typical distance between auser and his or her television in a living room. For example,interactions between pointing, scrolling, zooming and panning, e.g.,using a 3D pointing device and associated user interface, can beoptimized for this environment as will be described below, although thepresent invention is not limited thereto.

Referring again to FIG. 3(a), an exemplary relationship between movementof the 3D pointing device 300 and corresponding cursor movement on auser interface will now be described. Rotation of the 3D pointing device300 about the y-axis can be sensed by the 3D pointing device 300 andtranslated into an output usable by the system to move cursor 310 alongthe y₂ axis of the display 308. Likewise, rotation of the 3D pointingdevice 308 about the z-axis can be sensed by the 3D pointing device 300and translated into an output usable by the system to move cursor 310along the x₂ axis of the display 308. It will be appreciated that theoutput of 3D pointing device 300 can be used to interact with thedisplay 308 in a number of ways other than (or in addition to) cursormovement, for example it can control cursor fading, volume or mediatransport (play, pause, fast-forward and rewind). Additionally, thesystem can be programmed to recognize gestures, e.g., predeterminedmovement patterns, to convey commands in addition to cursor movement.Moreover, other input commands, e.g., a zoom-in or zoom-out on aparticular region of a display (e.g., actuated by pressing button 302 tozoom-in or button 304 to zoom-out), may also be available to the user.

Returning now to the application illustrated in FIG. 3(b), the GUIscreen (also referred to herein as a “UI view”, which terms refer to acurrently displayed set of UI objects) seen on television 320 is a homeview. In this particular exemplary embodiment, the home view displays aplurality of applications 322, e.g., “Photos”, “Music”, “Recorded”,“Guide”, “Live TV”, “On Demand”, and “Settings”, which are selectable bythe user by way of interaction with the user interface via the 3Dpointing device 300. Such user interactions can include, for example,pointing, scrolling, clicking or various combinations thereof. For moredetails regarding exemplary pointing, scrolling and clickinginteractions which can be used in conjunction with exemplary embodimentsof the present invention, the interested reader is directed to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/417,764, entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMSFOR SCROLLING AND POINTING IN USER INTERFACE”, to Frank J. Wroblewski,filed on May 4, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated here byreference.

Of particular interest for exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention are the global navigation objects 324 displayed above the UIobjects 322 that are associated with various media applications. Globalnavigation objects 324 provide short cuts to significant applications,frequently used UI views or the like, without cluttering up theinterface and in a manner which is consistent with other aspects of theparticular user interface in which they are implemented. Initially somefunctional examples will be described below, followed by some moregeneral characteristics of global navigation objects according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Although the global navigation objects 324 are displayed in FIG. 3(b)simply as small circles, in actual implementations they will typicallyconvey information regarding their functionality to a user by includingan icon, image, text or some combination thereof as part of theirindividual object displays on the user interface. A purely illustrativeexample is shown in FIG. 4. Therein, four global navigation objects400-406 are illustrated. The leftmost global navigation object 400operates to provide the user with a shortcut to quickly reach a home UIview (main menu). For example, the user can move the 3D pointing device300 in a manner which will position a cursor (not shown) over the globalnavigation object 400. Then, by selecting the global navigation object400, the user interface will immediately display the home view, e.g.,the view shown in FIG. 3(b). Other mechanisms can be used to select andactuate the global navigation object 400, as well as the other globalnavigation objects generally referenced by 324. For example, asdescribed in the above-identified patent application entitled “METHODSAND SYSTEMS FOR SCROLLING AND POINTING IN USER INTERFACE”, to Frank J.Wroblewski, each of the global navigation objects 324 can also bereached by scrolling according to one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

The other global navigation objects 402 through 406 similarly provideshortcut access to various UI views and/or functionality. For example,global navigation object 402 is an “up” global navigation object.Actuation of this global navigation object will result in the userinterface displaying a next “highest” user interface view relative tothe currently displayed user interface view. The relationship between acurrently displayed user interface view and its next “highest” userinterface view will depend upon the particular user interfaceimplementation. According to exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention, user interfaces may use, at least in part, zooming techniquesfor moving between user interface views. In the context of such userinterfaces, the next “highest” user interface view that will be reachedby actuating global navigation object 402 is the UI view which is onezoom level higher than the currently displayed UI view. Thus, actuationof the global navigation object 402 will result in a transition from acurrently displayed UI view to a zoomed out UI view which can bedisplayed along with a zooming transition effect. The zooming transitioneffect can be performed by progressive scaling and displaying of atleast some of the UI objects displayed on the current UI view to providea visual impression of movement of those UI objects away from anobserver. In another functional aspect of the present invention, userinterfaces may zoom-in in response to user interaction with the userinterface which will, likewise, result in the progressive scaling anddisplay of UI objects that provide the visual impression of movementtoward an observer. More information relating to zoomable userinterfaces can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/768,432,filed on Jan. 30, 2004, entitled “A Control Framework with a ZoomableGraphical User Interface for Organizing, Selecting and Launching MediaItems”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/829,263, filed on Apr.9, 2001, entitled “Interactive Content Guide for TelevisionProgramming”, the disclosures of which are incorporated here byreference.

Movement within the user interface between different user interfaceviews is not limited to zooming. Other non-zooming techniques can beused to transition between user interface views. For example, panningcan be performed by progressive translation and display of at least someof the user interface objects which are currently displayed in a userinterface view. This provides the visual impression of lateral movementof those user interface objects to an observer.

Regardless of the different techniques which are employed in aparticular user interface implementation to transition between userinterface views, the provision of a global navigation object 402 whichprovides an up function may be particularly beneficial for userinterfaces in which there are multiple paths available for a user toreach the same UI view. For example, consider the UI view 500 shown inFIG. 5. This view illustrates a number of on-demand movie selections,categorized by genre, which view 500 can be reached by, for example,zooming in on the “On Demand” application object shown in the home viewof FIG. 3(b). By pressing the zoom-in button 302 on the 3D pointingdevice 300 one more time, while the current focus (e.g., selectionhighlighting) is on the UI object associated with “Genre A” 502 in theUI view 500, the user interface will zoom-in on this object to display anew UI view 504. The UI view 504 will display a number of sub-genremedia selection objects which can, for example, be implemented as DVDmovie cover images. However, this same UI view 504 could also have beenreached by following a different path through the user interface, e.g.,by actuating a hyperlink 506 from another UI view. Under this scenario,actuating the up global navigation object 402 from UI view 504 willalways result in the user interface displaying UI view 502, regardlessof which path the user employed to navigate to UI view 504 in the firstplace. By way of contrast, if the user actuates the zoom-out (or back)button 304 from UI view 504, the user interface will display theprevious UI view along the path taken by the user to reach UI view 504.Thus, according to this exemplary embodiment of the present invention,the up global navigation object 504 provides a consistent mechanism forthe user to move to a next “highest” level of the interface, while thezoom-out (or back) button 304 on the 3D pointing device 300 provides aconsistent mechanism for the user to retrace his or her path through theinterface.

Returning to FIG. 4, global navigation object 404 provides a searchfunction when activated by a user. As a purely illustrative example, thesearch tool depicted in FIG. 6 can be displayed when a user actuates theglobal navigation object 404 from any of the UI views within the userinterface on which global navigation object 404 is displayed. Theexemplary UI view 600 depicted in FIG. 6 contains a text entry widgetincluding a plurality of control elements 604, with at least some of thecontrol elements 604 being drawn as keys or buttons having alphanumericcharacters 614 thereon, and other control elements 604 being drawn onthe interface as having non-alphanumeric characters 616 which can be,e.g., used to control character entry. In this example, the controlelements 604 are laid out in two horizontal rows across the interface,although other configurations may be used.

Upon actuating a control element 604, e.g., by clicking a button on athe 3D pointing device 300 when a particular element 604 has the focus,the corresponding alphanumeric input is displayed in the textbox 602,disposed above the text entry widget, and one or more groups ofdisplayed items related to the alphanumeric input provided via thecontrol element(s) can be displayed on the interface, e.g., below thetext entry widget. Thus, the GUI screen depicted in FIG. 6 according toone exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be used to searchfor selectable media items, and graphically display the results of thesearch on a GUI screen, in a manner that is useful, efficient andpleasing to the user. (Note that in the illustrated example of FIG. 6,although the letter “g” is illustrated as being displayed in the textbox 602, the displayed movie cover images below the text entry widgetsimply represent a test pattern of DVD movie covers and are notnecessarily related to the input letter “g” as they could be in animplementation, e.g., the displayed movie covers could be only thosewhose movie titles start with the letter “g”). This type of search toolenables a user to employ both keyword searching and visual browsing in apowerful combination that expedites a search across, potentially,thousands of selectable media items. By selecting one of the DVD moviecovers, e.g., UI object 608, the user interface can, for example,display a more detailed UI view associated with that movie, along withan option for a user to purchase and view that on-demand movie. As thoseskilled in the art will appreciate, given a potentially very largenumber of selectable media items, quick and easy access to a search toolmade possible by the provision of global navigation object 404 on most,if not all, of the UI views provided by the user interface, provides theuser with convenient access thereto.

Returning again to FIG. 4, the fourth global navigation object 406displayed in this exemplary embodiment is a live TV global navigationobject. Actuation of the global navigation object 406 results in theuser interface immediately displaying a live TV UI view that enables auser to quickly view television programming from virtually any UI viewwithin the interface. An example of a live TV UI view 700 is shown inFIG. 7, wherein it can be seen that the entire interface area has beencleared out of UI objects so that the user has an unimpeded view of thelive television programming. A channel selection control overlay 800(FIG. 8) can be displayed, and used to change channels, in response tomovement of the cursor proximate to the leftmost region of the userinterface. Similarly a volume control overlay 900 (FIG. 9) can bedisplayed, and used to change the output volume of the television, inresponse to movement of the cursor proximate to the rightmost region ofthe user interface. More information relating to the operation of thechannel selection control overlay 800 and volume control overlay 900 canbe found in the above-incorporated by reference U.S. Patent Applicationentitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SCROLLING AND POINTING IN USERINTERFACE”, to Frank J. Wroblewski.

Comparing FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 reveals that the global navigation objects324 are visible in the UI view 700, but not in the UI views 800 and 900.This visual comparison introduces the different display states of globalnavigation objects according to exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. More specifically, according to one exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention, the global navigation objects 324 can bedisplayed in one of three display states: a watermark state, an overstate and a non-displayed state. In their watermark (partially visible)state, which is a default display state, each of the global navigation324 are displayed in a manner so as to be substantially transparent (orfaintly filled in) relative to the rest of the UI objects in a given UIview. For example, the global navigation objects can be displayed onlyas a faint outline of their corresponding icons when in their watermarkstate. As the default display state, this enables the global navigationobjects 324 to be sufficiently visible for the user to be aware of theirlocation and functionality, but without taking the focus away from thesubstantially opaque UI objects which represent selectable media items.

In their over display state, which is triggered by the presence of acursor proximate and/or over one of the global navigation objects 324,that global navigation object has its outline filled in to becomeopaque. Once in its over display state, the corresponding globalnavigation object 400-406 can be actuated, e.g., by a button click ofthe 3D pointing device 300.

Lastly, for at least some UI views, the global navigation objects 324can also have a non-displayed state, wherein the global navigationobjects 324 become completely invisible. This non-displayed state can beused, for example, in UI views such as the live TV view 700 where it isdesirable for the UI objects which operate as controls to overlay thelive TV feed only when the user wants to use those controls. This can beimplemented by, for example, having the global navigation objects 324move from their watermark display state to their non-displayed stateafter a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without input to theuser interface from the user while a predetermined UI view is currentlybeing displayed. Thus, if the live TV view 700 is currently beingdisplayed on the television and the user interface does not receive anyinput, e.g., motion of the 3D pointing device 300, for more than 3 or 5seconds, then the global navigation objects 324 can be removed from thedisplay.

Global navigation objects 324 may have other attributes according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention, including the number ofglobal navigation objects, their location as a group on the display,their location as individual objects within the group and their effects.Regarding the former attribute, the total number of global navigationobjects should be minimized to provide needed short-cut functionality,but without obscuring the primary objectives of the user interface,e.g., access to media items, or overly complicating the interface sothat the user can learn the interface and form navigation habits whichfacilitate quick and easy navigation among the media items. Thusaccording to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, thenumber of global navigation objects 324 provided on any one UI view maybe 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 but preferably not more than 7 globalnavigation objects will be provided to any given user interface. Thepreviously discussed and illustrated exemplary embodiments illustratethe global navigation objects 324 being generally centered along ahorizontal axis of the user interface and proximate a top portionthereof, however other exemplary embodiments of the present inventionmay render the global navigation objects in other locations, e.g., theupper righthand or lefthand corners of the user interface. Whicheverportion of the user interface is designated for display of the globalnavigation buttons, that portion of the user interface should bereserved for such use, i.e., such that the other UI objects are notselectable within the portion of the user interface which is reservedfor the global navigation objects 324.

Additionally, location of individual global navigation objects 324within the group of global navigation objects, regardless of where thegroup as a whole is positioned on the display, can be specified basedon, e.g., frequency of usage. For example, it may be easier for users toaccurately point to global navigation objects 324 at the beginning orend of a row that those global navigation objects in the middle of therow. Thus the global navigation objects 324 which are anticipated to bemost frequently used, e.g., the home and live TV global navigationobjects in the above-described examples, can be placed at the beginningand end of the row of global navigation objects 324 in the exemplaryembodiment of FIG. 4.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, globalnavigation objects can have other characteristics regarding theirplacement throughout the user interface. According to one exemplaryembodiment, the entire set of global navigation objects are displayed,at least initially, on each and every UI view which is available in auser interface (albeit the global navigation objects may acquire theirnon-displayed state on at least some of those UI views as describedabove). This provides a consistency to the user interface whichfacilitates navigation through large collections of UI objects. On theother hand, according to other exemplary embodiments, there may be someUI views on which global navigation objects are not displayed at all,such that the user interface as a whole will only have global navigationobjects displayed on substantially every UI view in the user interface.

Likewise, it is generally preferable that, for each UI view in which theglobal navigation objects are displayed, they be displayed in anidentical manner, e.g., the same group of global navigation objects, thesame images/text/icons used to represent each global navigationfunction, the same group location, the same order within the group, etc.However there may be some circumstances wherein, for example, thefunctional nature of the user interface suggests a slight variance tothis rule, e.g., wherein one or more global navigation objects arepermitted to vary based on a context of the UI view in which it isdisplayed. For example, for a UI view where direct access to live TV isalready available, the live TV global navigation object 406 can bereplaced or removed completely. In the above-described exemplaryembodiment this can occur when, for example, a user zooms-in on theapplication entitled “Guide” in FIG. 3(b). This action results in theuser interface displaying an electronic program guide, such as thatshown in FIG. 10, on the television (or other display device). Note thatfrom the UI view of FIG. 10, a user can directly reach a live TV UI viewin a number of different ways, e.g., by positioning a cursor over thescaled down, live video display 1000 and zooming in or by positioning acursor over a program listing within the grid guide itself and zoomingin. Since the user already has direct access to live TV from the UI viewof FIG. 10, the live TV global navigation object 406 can be replaced bya DVR global navigation object 1002 which enables a user to have directaccess to a DVR UI view. Similarly, the live TV global navigation object406 for the live TV UI views (e.g., that of FIG. 7) can be replaced by aguide global navigation object which provides the user with a short-cutto the electronic program guide. For those exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention wherein one or more global navigation objects arepermitted to vary from UI view to UI view based on context, it isenvisioned that there still will be a subset of the global navigationobjects which will be the same for each UI view on which globalnavigation objects are displayed. In the foregoing examples, a subset ofthree of the global navigation objects (e.g., those associated withhome, up and search functions) are displayed identically (orsubstantially identically) and provide an identical function on each ofthe UI views on which they are displayed, while one of the globalnavigation objects (i.e., the live TV global navigation object) ispermitted to change for some UI views.

Still another feature of global navigation objects according to someexemplary embodiments of the present invention is the manner in whichthey are handled during transition from one UI view to another UI view.For example, as mentioned above some user interfaces according toexemplary embodiments of the present invention employ zooming and/orpanning animations to convey a sense of position change within a“Zuiverse” of UI objects as a user navigates between UI views. However,according to some exemplary embodiments of the present invention, theglobal navigation objects are exempt from these transition effects. Thatis, the global navigation objects do not zoom, pan or translate and are,instead, fixed in their originally displayed position while theremaining UI objects shift from, e.g., a zoomed-out view to a zoomed-inview. This enables user interfaces to, on the one hand, provide theglobal navigation objects as visual anchors, while, on the other hand,not detract from conveying the desired sense of movement within the userinterface by virtue of having the global navigation buttons in theirdefault watermark (transparent) state.

Although not shown in FIG. 3(b), applications 322 may also include anInternet browser to permit a user of the system to surf the Web on hisor her television. Additionally, a zooming and panning widget as shownin FIGS. 11(a)-11(c) can be provided as an overlay to the displayed webpage(s) to enable easy generic browsing on the TV. FIG. 11(a)illustrates the zooming and panning widget itself. The widget caninclude, for example, three rectangular regions. However, the number andshape of the regions may vary. The first region, defined by border 1100,contains a complete version, albeit miniaturized, of the content, e.g.,a web page or image, which can be displayed on the television based onthe current target being browsed. That is, the first region may includea miniaturized and complete version of a content item. The completeversion of the content may fill the border 1100 completely or not, e.g.,depending upon the aspect ratio of the content. The second region,defined by border 1102, displays the portion of the content which iscurrently displayed on the television. That is, the second region mayinclude a displayed version of the content item. If the user has optedto zoom into the content, then the rectangle 1102 will be smaller thanrectangle 1100. If no zooming is currently selected, then the rectangle1102 will be coextensive with, or be displayed just inside of, rectangle1100. The portion of the content displayed within rectangle 1102 may bedisplayed more brightly than the remainder of the content which isoutside of rectangle 1102 but within rectangle 1100 to indicate to theuser that rectangle 1102 indicates the portion of the content which iscurrently being viewed. The portion of the content displayed within therectangle 1102 may otherwise be displayed in contrast to the remainderof the content which is outside of rectangle 1102 but within rectangle1100.

The third region, defined by border 1104, is indicative of the portionof the content which will be displayed if the user actuates a usercontrol to display the content associated with rectangle 1104, e.g., bypanning to that portion of the entire web page or image shown inrectangle 1100. That is, the third region may include a to be displayedversion of the content item. This rectangle 1104 is movable withinrectangle 1100 like a cursor based on movement of an input device, suchas the 3D pointing device described above. Each of the bordersassociated with the three rectangles 1100, 1102 and 1104 may bedisplayed with different colors to further distinguish their respectivefunctions.

FIG. 11(b) displays the zooming and panning widget of FIG. 11(a) as anoverlay on the currently displayed content on a television screen 1106(or other display device). The widget may otherwise be displayedrelevant to the currently displayed content. The position of the widget1100-1104 on the television screen 1106 can be the same for all contentdisplays, can be dragged to any desired position on the screen and/orcan be set by the user. The widget 1100-1104 provides the user with aneasy way to navigate within a web page or other content after zooming-into better see some portion of the content, since he or she might nototherwise remember precisely what lays outside of the zoomed in region.The widget supplies this information via rectangles 1100 and 1102, and amechanism to navigate outside of the currently displayed portion of theweb page via rectangle 1104. Other browsing control elements can beadded as well, as shown in the Appendix to U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 61/143,633 which is incorporated by reference above. A cursor1107 can be displayed on the screen, having a position controllable via,e.g., the 3D pointing device. When the position of the cursor enters therectangle 1100 of the widget, the cursor 1107 can be replaced by therectangle 1104 (e.g., a border) whose position will then vary based uponmovement of the pointing device. When the user actuates a control, e.g.,a button or other element, while the cursor is within the rectangle1100, the content displayed on screen 1106 will pan toward the portionof the content identified by rectangle 1104 at the time that the useractuates the control. The widget will then update the position of therectangle 1102 within rectangle 1100 to reflect the now displayedportion of the web page. When the cursor moves out of the rectangle1100, it changes back into whatever icon, e.g., an arrow, which istypically used to represent cursor functionality within the content,e.g., to select hyperlinks, buttons and the like on a web page.

FIG. 11(c) is a screenshot showing the widget 1100-1104 with actualcontent. Additionally, FIG. 11(c) depicts a zooming control overlay 1108which controls the zoom level of the content currently being browsed.This particular control is purely exemplary and other zooming controlsare shown in the Appendix to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/143,633. Additionally, instead of using a zooming overlay control1108, the scroll wheel on the input device can be used to control thezoom level which is used. A change in the zoom level via either type ofcontrol results in a zooming in or zooming out of the content, e.g., aweb page, corresponding to the new zoom level. Zooming and panning canbe actuated at the same time, or separately. For example, the user canselect a new zoom level, e.g., by moving the slide bar of the zoomcontrol 1108 displayed on the screen 1106 or by rotating the scrollwheel. This can have the effect of increasing or decreasing the size ofrectangle 1104. The user can then move the rectangle 1104 to the desiredlocation within rectangle 1100. Actuation, e.g., by way of a control orbutton on the pointing device, may then cause the selected zoomingchange and panning change to occur simultaneously on screen 1106 byanimating both the zoom and the pan contemporaneously. Alternatively,the zooming and panning functions can be performed independently of oneanother using the widget 1100-1104 for panning and any of theafore-described controls for zooming.

According to other exemplary embodiments, overlaid graphics can beprovided directly on top of typical TV programs, video on demand, or thelike, either under the control of the end user, e.g., the viewer of theTV program as it is being displayed/output via his or her television, orunder the control of a 3^(rd) party (e.g., an advertiser) or both. Theseoverlaid graphics can be implemented using a relatively seamlessintegration with the current TV watching experience that does not forcethe user to have to choose between interaction with the overlaidgraphics and watching the TV program. Instead, according to exemplaryembodiments, the overlaid graphics can, in many cases, be implemented toappear as a natural choice or as additional value to the user in thecontext of the user's normal TV viewing habits.

According to exemplary embodiments, the use of a pointing-basedinterface can create a natural interaction between the viewer and thewatching experience. This can be done by, for example, evolving the userexperience by integrating some traditional controls where necessary, butgenerally shifting the user towards a pointer-based experience thatoffers a broader array of user options. According to exemplaryembodiments, overlaid graphics and so-called “shared screen”technologies can be used to integrate the TV screen with the interactiveexperience. It is believed that the fuller integration of these options,according to exemplary embodiments described below, with the moretraditional TV viewing will blur the line between the overlaid graphicsand the TV program, thus simply becoming an interactive TV experience,not one or the other. In support of this implementation, evolving webtechnology platforms, e.g., HTML5, can provide a lightweight engine foruse. Additionally, the use of one or more non-proprietary languages canexpand opportunities for developers and producers, which in turn canproduce more and varied content for end users and advertisers.

According to exemplary embodiments, the overlaid graphics can be part ofa system which can include any or all of, but are not limited to, a fullscreen TV picture, a partial screen TV picture, a main applicationportal, playback controls, single sign on ability, a web browser, an ondemand search and integrated overlay displays. The main applicationportal can be an access point to applications as well as features whichcan include an Application Store, system settings, accounts and helpinformation. Playback controls can include traditional controls such as,channel selection, play, pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, skip andvolume controls, preferably provided via a convenient and clear access.Various applications, including search on tap, as well as examples ofvarious overlaid graphics are described, according to exemplaryembodiments, in more detail below.

The above described features can be accomplished by, according toexemplary embodiments, providing an overlay box 1200 between a contentsource (or numerous content sources) 1202 and the television 1204. Aswill be described below, the overlay box 1200 receives the raw or nativevideo and/or audio feed from the content source 1202 and overlaysgraphics on top of the raw or native video and/or audio feed to providea composite output on the television 1204. Note that, although thisexemplary embodiment depicts the overlay box 1200 as separate unit,e.g., having its own housing, printed circuit board, power connection,etc., that according to other exemplary embodiments, the overlay box1200 can be integrated into, e.g., either the content source (e.g., STB)or the TV. Further note that the overlay functionality described hereinmay be used in conjunction with one or more of the earlier describedembodiments of FIGS. 1-11 or independently thereof. More informationrelating to overlays can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/518,394 entitled “OVERLAY DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD”, to NegarMoshiri et al., which is incorporated by reference herein.

Touch Screen

According to embodiments, a touch screen can be provided for use. Thetouch screen can be used as a backup to a primary user input device(handheld remote control device), e.g., the 3D pointing device 300, foruse in controlling a television (TV) as well as other devices, such as,a digital video recorder (DVR), a sound system and a set-top box (STB).As a backup to the primary user input device, the touch screen can be asubstitute or spare control device providing similar features andfunctions of the primary user input device. For example, the touchscreen, when used in conjunction with a television, could allow fornumeric entry, cursor control, volume control, and scroll control andzooming of the television display, as well as function to power off/onthe television. As such, if the primary user input device is a 3Dpointing device similar that described herein, the touch screen couldfunction and provide many, or all, of the features of the 3D pointingdevices, such as cursor control, etc. Alternatively, the touch screencould operate as a supplement or to complement the primary user inputdevice. For example, the primary user input device may only operate tocontrol one device, but the touch screen could operate or control morethan one device or to provide additional features and functions, such asbiometrics, discussed below. In addition, the touch screen could operateto control gaming consoles or gaming functions on the display. The touchscreen can be used in support of the various exemplary featuresdescribed above for which the 3D pointing device is used. For example,the touch screen can include one or more inertial sensors and a wirelessinterface. In an alternative embodiment, the touch screen can be theprimary, or main, remote. When used as a primary remote and/or onlyremote, the touch screen can function to operate and control atelevision (TV), as well as other devices described above. In additionto operating as a remote control, the touch screen could also includeprocessing of biometrics, such as fingerprints, tremor, and heart rate.These biometrics could be used to personalize the touch screen to aparticular user or to add security features and functionality. Moreover,these biometrics could be incorporated for fitness and health purposes.For example, when using a fitness gaming application, a user could wearthe touch screen to record heart rate, blood pressure, number of steps,etc., wherein this information could be displayed on the touch screen orthe display device controlled by the touch screen, e.g., television. Anexample of such biometrics can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,236,156,entitled “Methods and Devices for Identifying Users Based on Tremor,” byLiberty et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated here byreference, although those skilled in the art will appreciate that othertypes of biometrics could be used alternatively, or in addition to, thetremor identification biometrics described therein.

When the touch screen is powered on, it can also be lit (e.g., viabacklighting, one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), etc.) tofacilitate its location by a user and accessibility by a user. Accordingto an embodiment, the touch screen can be in a powered down state untilthe touch screen receives a command to power-on, e.g., when the 3Dpointing device 300 is unavailable for use. Such unavailable for usereasons can include, but are not limited to, a low or no battery statefor the 3D pointing device 300, the 3D pointing device 300 being out ofrange or undetected by the TV or its processor or set-top box.Additionally, according to another embodiment, if the 3D pointing device300 later becomes detected by the TV, the touch screen can be disabledeither manually or automatically or may continue to be enabled untilafter the TV is turned back off, and is turned back on later with the 3Dpointing device also being enabled (so that if the user is activelywatching a TV program, using the auxiliary (possibly detached) touchscreen in lieu of the 3D pointing remote, and the 3D pointing remote isbrought into range or powered up during this time, the user experienceis not interrupted. Also, according to another embodiment, the touchscreen is only activated manually. For example, the touch screen couldinclude a button on the touch screen casing, such that when the buttonis pushed, the touch screen is activated, or likewise, powered down. Inaddition, the touch screen could be activated by a user tapping thetouch screen. According to another embodiment, the touch screen isactivated by a voice command. In this embodiment, the touch screen couldinclude a microphone to sense noise.

According to an embodiment, the touch screen can be a portion of theTV's own display. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the touch screen1300 can be a portion of the displayed screen 1302 associated with TV1304. In this embodiment, for example, a user could touch a portion ofthe displayed screen 1302 associated with TV 1304, wherein the touchscreen 1300 is an overlay to the displayed screen 1302. Alternatively,the touch screen overlay could automatically appear or display when noother remote control device is detected. According to anotherembodiment, the TV 1304 can have a touch screen 1400 which is not aportion of the displayed screen 1302. Instead, the touch screen 1400 canbe a separate physical element of the TV 1304. In this latter case, theTV display can be entirely non-touch sensitive. According to anembodiment, the touch screen can flip down or fold up or be able to beretracted back inside the TV housing 1402 of the TV 1304. For example, auser may push a button 1404 on a side of the TV housing 1402 of the TV1304 to release or discharge the touch screen 1400 as shown in FIG. 14A.Additionally, while the touch screen 1400 is shown in FIG. 14B as beingattached to a lower right portion of the TV housing 1402, the touchscreen can be attached to (or recessed into) other portions of the TVhousing 1402 such as the sides, top or back of the TV 1304. An exampleof this is shown in FIG. 15, where the touch screen 1400 is located on aback side 1500 of the TV housing 1402. For example, a panel or pocketcould hold the touch screen 1400 in place, which can then be ejected orpulled out by a user.

According to an embodiment, the touch screen 1400 (as well as the touchscreen 1300) can be of various shapes and sizes. For example, the touchscreen 1400 can be of a rectangular, square, circular and/or oval shape.For embodiments where the touch screen 1400 is not a part of the TVdisplay 1302, the housing of the touch screen 1400 can also be ofvarious shapes, such as, rectangular, square, circular and/or oval.Additionally, various combinations of shapes for both the housing andthe touch screen itself can also occur as desired, for example, arectangular housing with an oval touch screen, a square housing with asquare touch screen, etc.

According to an embodiment, the touch screen 1400 can be detachable fromthe TV 1304. The detachable touch screen can include its own processor,power supply, memory and communications interface. Further, thedetachable touch screen could be rechargeable. Alternatively, a powerand/or data cord can be used between the detachable touch screen and theTV 1304. An example of a touch screen 1400 operating detached from thedisplay 1302 is shown in FIG. 16.

According to an embodiment, the touch screen 1400 can be powereddirectly from the television. Alternatively, the touch screen can have apower cord from the touch screen 1400 to the television or a stand-alonepower source such as a battery. According to another embodiment, thetouch screen 1400 can also include a processor and memory. Since thetouch screen 1400 includes its own processor and memory, the touchscreen 1400 can handle much of the input processing to reduce the burdenof the television's processing resources.

According to an embodiment, the touch screen 1400 can communicate withthe TV 1304 (and other devices) either via a wired connection or awireless connection. If using the wireless connection, the wirelessconnection can be either via infrared, a radio frequency or a range ofradio frequencies.

According to an embodiment, as described above, the touch screen 1400can be used in place of the 3D pointing device 300, as shown in, forexample, FIG. 17. The touch screen 1400 can be used to implement some orall of the various functions described above which the 3D pointingdevice provides. For example, a cursor can be moved on the televisionscreen 1302 via the touch screen 1400 by, for example, an objecttouching and moving across the surface of the touch screen 1400 whichtranslates into a cursor 1700 moving along the television screen 1302.Examples of such an object for touching and moving across the surface ofthe touch screen 1400 include a fingertip and a stylus. When the cursor1700 is over an item of interest, the user can then tap the touch screento select the item. This can allow for interaction with the userinterface (UI) displayed on the television screen. For another example,zooming as described herein can also be supported by interactions of thetouch screen 1400 with the UI.

According to another embodiment, the touch screen 1400 can be backlitwith a numeric keypad display 1802, an enter button 1804, a last button1804, and scroll bar 1807 for controlling volume, as illustrated, forexample, in FIG. 18. This type of display on the touch screen 1400 isespecially helpful to a user if the user interface on the displaydevice, for example, a television, is not capable of working with a 3Dpointing mode. Hence, the touch screen 1400 can switch modes from 3Dpointing mode to keypad mode, for example, based on the currentlydisplayed user interface capabilities.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary hardware architecture associated withtouch screens described herein. Therein, a processor 1900 communicateswith other elements of the touch screen including a flash memory 1901,OFN 1902, boundary scan cells (joint test action group) (JTAG) 1904,light emitting diodes (LEDs) 1906, switch matrix 108, infra-red (IR)photo detector 1910, rotational sensor(s) 1912, accelerometer 1914 andtransceiver 1916. The flash memory device 1901 can be used by processor1900 to store various programs and/or data for use in operating thetouch screen, e.g., bias estimates, as described above. The OFN 1902 isan input component which enables a user to provide input to theinterface as described above. JTAG 1904 provides the programming anddebugging interface to the processor. LEDs 1906 provide visual feedbackto a user, for example, when a button is pressed. Switch matrix 1908receives inputs, e.g., indications that a button on the touch screen hasbeen depressed or released, that are then passed on to processor 1900.The optional IR photo detector 1910 can be provided to enable the touchscreen to learn IR codes from other remote controls. Rotational sensors1912 provide readings to processor 1900 regarding, e.g., the y-axis andz-axis rotation (angular rate) of the touch screen as described above.Accelerometer 1914 provides readings to processor 1900 regarding thelinear acceleration of the touch screen which can be used, e.g., toperform tilt compensation and to compensate for errors which linearacceleration introduces into the rotational readings generated byrotational sensor(s) 1912. Transceiver 1916 is used to communicateinformation to and from the touch screen, e.g., to the system controller228 or to a processor associated with a computer. The transceiver 1916can be a wireless transceiver, e.g., operating in accordance with theBluetooth standards for short-range wireless communication or aninfrared transceiver. Alternatively, the touch screen according to theseexemplary embodiments can communicate with systems via a wirelineconnection. The touch screen could be optical, using OFN technology, orcan take any desired form and can detect movement of, e.g., a user'sthumb, using any desired technology to derive an input therefrom.

While embodiments associated with the touch screen 1400 have the touchscreen as a portion of the television or display, the variousembodiments of the touch screen 1400 can alternatively be associatedwith other portions of an entertainment type system. For example,instead of having the touch screen 1400 as a portion of the televisionor display, the touch 1400 screen could be a part of a set-top box or adigital video recorder.

According to an alternative embodiment, the touch screen 1400 can be asoftware application that is downloaded onto another device, such as, aphone with a touch screen or other touch screen type of device capableof executing the appropriate software. Examples of other touch screendevices include a Kindle and an Ipad.

Numerous variations of the afore-described exemplary embodiments arecontemplated. The above-described exemplary embodiments are intended tobe illustrative in all respects, rather than restrictive, of the presentinvention. Thus the present invention is capable of many variations indetailed implementation that can be derived from the descriptioncontained herein by a person skilled in the art. All such variations andmodifications are considered to be within the scope and spirit of thepresent invention as defined by the following claims. No element, act,or instruction used in the description of the present application shouldbe construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitlydescribed as such. Also, used herein, the article “a” is intended toinclude one or more items.

1. A display system comprising: a display surface configured to display media content; a housing configured to support the display surface; and a touch screen configured to perform functions associated with a handheld remote control device configured to control the display, wherein the touch screen is further configured to be a backup to the handheld remote control device and wherein the touch screen operates as a replacement to the handheld remote control device and/or a supplement to the handheld remote control device.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is configured to operate as a three dimensional (3D) pointing device.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein when the touch screen operates as the 3D pointing device, a user can point to a portion of the display surface and tap the touch screen to select a desired item or function.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is backlit to display a numeric keypad display, an enter button, a last button, and a scroll bar for controlling volume.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen receives user input on a surface of the touch screen to move a corresponding cursor on the display surface.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is a separate device and is activated by tapping a surface of the touch screen.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is an overlay on a portion of the display surface.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is activated via a voice command.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is activated when the handheld remote control device is unavailable, such as when the handheld remote control device is not detected by the display system.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen is the primary remote control device.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch screen functions similar to the handheld remote control device and the touch screen provides channel entry and control, volume control, power control, cursor control, and/or scrolling and zooming control.
 12. A method for controlling a display comprising: providing a display surface on said display configured to display media content; receiving input to said display surface via a touch screen configured to perform functions associated with a handheld remote control device configured to control the display, wherein the touch screen is further configured to be a backup to the handheld remote control device and wherein the touch screen operates as a replacement to the handheld remote control device and/or a supplement to the handheld remote control device; and controlling said display based on said input.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen is configured to operate as a three dimensional (3D) pointing device.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the touch screen operates as the 3D pointing device, a user can point to a portion of the display surface and tap the touch screen to select a desired item or function.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen is backlit to display a numeric keypad display, an enter button, a last button, and a scroll bar for controlling volume.
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen receives user input on a surface of the touch screen to move a corresponding cursor on the display surface.
 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen is a separate device and is activated by tapping a surface of the touch screen.
 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen is an overlay on a portion of the display surface.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen is activated via a voice command.
 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen is activated when the handheld remote control device is unavailable, such as when the handheld remote control device is not detected by the display system.
 21. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen is the primary remote control device.
 22. The method of claim 12, wherein the touch screen functions similar to the handheld remote control device and the touch screen provides channel entry and control, volume control, power control, cursor control, and/or scrolling and zooming control. 